Justice Nancy M. Saitta (Ret.)

Justice Nancy M. Saitta (Ret.)

Justice Nancy M. Saitta (Ret.)

Biography

Nancy Saitta is a former Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court having served as a member of the judiciary for 20 years. She began her judicial career in 1996 when she was appointed as a Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge. Two years later, she was elected a judge in the 8th Judicial District Court. During this time, she created the specialized Complex Litigation Division for streamlined case management of construction defect and other significant matters such as medical malpractice. Her work received national recognition as one of the top programs in the country. Consequently, she was asked to be a presenter at the Brookings Institution regarding judicial training on complex case litigation. While in the 8th Judicial District, Justice Saitta served as the lead settlement judge. In order to address the backlog of complex cases, she held a minimum of two settlement conferences per week. As a result, she has conducted hundreds of settlement conferences in all areas of complex litigation. In 2006, Justice Saitta was elected to the Supreme Court and served as Chief Justice from 2011 to 2012 and then retired from public service in 2016.

While at the Supreme Court, Justice Saitta was the chair of the Judicial Public Information Committee and was instrumental in expanding Law Day activities in Nevada, including the creation of Law Day Live, an annual high-tech, interactive Internet forum that links courthouses through video technology and allows public participation through social media. She also served as co-chair of the Commission on Statewide Juvenile Justice Reform and currently chairs the Nevada Court Improvement Program, which seeks to improve services for children and families in the child welfare system. In 2009, Justice Saitta was chosen as one of 40 emerging state leaders for the prestigious Toll Fellowship Program sponsored by the Council of State Governments (CGS). As a result of this work, she was asked to serve on the CSG National Governance Working Group, which examined the organizational structure of the Council. Justice Saitta currently serves as a member of the CSG Executive Committee.

Prior to her work on the bench, Justice Saitta was a senior deputy attorney general where she served as the Children’s Advocate for the State of Nevada. Her efforts have won her recognition, including the “For the Children” award presented by the Office of the Attorney General, the District Attorney Outstanding Service Award, and the Child Advocate of the Year (2001) In 2000, she was given an Angels in Adoption award (2000) by the U.S. Congress. Justice Saitta, also worked for a prominent Las Vegas law firm specializing in general civil litigation with an emphasis on plaintiffs personal injury cases. Prior to that, she worked as an associate at a defense firm in Michigan where she represented hospitals and doctors. Her area of specialty was cardiac and birth trauma. Her background, in having represented both sides, in addition to her vast judicial experience, makes Justice Saitta uniquely suited to facilitate settlement on almost any dispute.

In addition to being an attorney and judge, Justice Saitta has embraced her role as a teacher throughout much of her adult life. She taught at Wayne State University in the Department of criminal justice and taught litigation courses at the American Institute for Paralegal Studies. She has been a keynote speaker and faculty member at several national conferences. Furthermore, Justice Saitta created the Professionalism Summit, which conducts annual statewide conferences.

In 2016, Justice Saitta retired from public service to focus on developing a private ADR practice with a focus on complex matters at ARM as a mediator, arbitrator, special master, consultant and private judge. She will also continue her service to the judiciary as a senior judge on an “as needed” basis. Her varied background and immense expertise will make her the perfect choice for complex and challenging cases in almost any area of civil litigation. Justice Saitta prides herself on being extremely diligent in her preparation for every single matter she handles. She is also well known for her tenacity in her handling of complex and high-stake matters.

Professional Experience

Neutral, Advanced Resolution Management (2017-present)

Senior District Judge, Nevada Supreme Court (2016-present)

Justice, Supreme Court of Nevada (2007-2016)¸ Chief Judge (2011-2012)

Judge, Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court (1998-2006)

Judge, Las Vegas Municipal Court (1996-1998)

Senior Deputy Attorney General and Children’s Advocate, State of Nevada

Attorney, Pearson & Patton

Attorney, Gentile & Porter

Attorney, Kitch, Saurber, Drutchas & Wagner

Specialties

Appellate Consultation

Business/Commercial

Class Actions

Construction

Construction Defect

Contract Disputes

Complex Cases

Employment

Insurance

Legal Malpractice

Mass Torts

Medical Malpractice

Personal Injury

Professional Malpractice

Real Estate

Transactional Disputes

ADR Training

Mediating the Litigated Case, Straus Institute Pepperdine University School of Law

Professional Licenses

Nevada State Bar (1991)

Michigan State Bar (Inactive)

Memberships and Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Nevada

Clark County Bar Association

National Institute for Trial Advocacy

Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Foundation Board

National Governance Working Group, Council of State Governments (CSG)/Executive Committee